1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hydrotherapy jets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various hydrotherapy jets have been developed for use in spas, hot tubs, pools and bath tubs that discharge a stream of water which can be aerated through a variety of commercially available discharge nozzles. The various designs provide different flow characteristics which result in different massage affect being experienced by the body. Such jets have been found to produce a pleasing massaging effect for many users, and have become quite popular. In the design of single or multi-user spas or tubs, it is common to use a variety of different jet nozzles to provide a variety of different massaging effects.
Early jets simply discharged a steam of warm water with aeration if desired, along the longitudinal axis of the jet body. Since then, numerous jets have been developed in which the direction of the stream can be adjusted. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,029 to Spears et al. (assigned to the same assignee as the present invention) discloses a jet that provides an off axis stream of water and has an axial push/pull mechanism used to control the flow of water. The mechanism can also be rotated to rotate the stream of water around the jet axis, providing a limited directional control over the stream.
Other jets have been developed having fully adjustable directional outlets or eyeballs which are typically mounted in the face plate of the jet or recessed within the jet body. See Waterway Plastics Inc., "1999 Product Catalog," Page 7 and 8. The direction of the stream of water is adjusted by manually manipulating the nozzle or eyeball to the desired direction. While these jets provide greater freedom of adjustment, the jet housing interferes with and limits the range of off-axis adjustment.
Another disadvantage of conventional jets is that they cannot be adjusted to provide relief to the front of the body when the occupant is in the normal seated position. To obtain a flow of water to the front of the body or legs, the occupant must to turn his/her body to face the jet, resulting in an awkward and uncomfortable seating position. In addition, these jets are primarily designed to operate below the water level and provide limited relief to body parts above the water, such as the neck.
To provide greater freedom to direct the stream of water, hand held jets have been developed having a hose with an outlet at one end and the other end connected to the jet housing on the spa wall. See Waterway Plastics Inc., "1999 Product Catalog," Page 3. Within a range of the hose, the user can direct the stream of water to any part of the body, including the neck. One disadvantage of this jet is that it intrudes on the interior of the spa when not it use and can be an annoyance to or damaged by the spa occupants. In addition, it requires the occupant to hold the hose in place.
Jets have been developed by Hydro Air Industries Inc. (Model Nos. 10-2620 and 16-2620) that are installed above the water line and have an elongated outlet that is extended from the jet body and does not retract. The outlet can be manually bent, allowing the occupant to direct the outlet to the desired body part (such as the neck) and when released, the outlet will stay directed to the body part.
Because the outlet is extended from the jet body its adjustment range is not limited by the jet housing. However, because it stays extended whether the flow of water is on or off, it is often damaged by an occupant bumping into it when moving about the spa or when grasping it for balance or support when entering or leaving the spa.